Lubbock-Cooper ISD increasing security at campuses

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) -

Friday morning NRA President Wayne LaPierre called on congress to pass a bill that would place an arm guard on the campus of every public school in the country. This comes a week after the tragic school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Connecticut, but one area school district has already begun this process.

Thursday night, Lubbock-Cooper ISD voted to have an armed police officer at every single one of their campuses. Superintendent Pat Henderson said he will be meeting with Lubbock-Cooper ISD's chief of police to hire four new officers who he hopes will be in place when classes start in January.

"I really believe the only way that you're going to stop something like what happened in Connecticut and some of the other school tragedies are to have veteran, experienced police officers there who know how to take down somebody like that," Henderson said.

Henderson sent out a recorded voice message to parents on Sunday night explaining the plan. He says Lubbock-Cooper parents support increased security.

"Parents know that we have a police department, they know we patrol our campuses and they're very thankful for that, but they were even more thankful that we are bringing in even more security," he said.

According to Henderson, all of the members of Lubbock-Cooper's police force are T-close certified and have to go through special training every year.

"Several of them are veterans of the military and they know how to use their weapons. They're not rent-a-cops - they're certified police officers," Henderson said. "If somebody does come into our campus and attempts to hurt our staff or students their job is to take them out. They know it, and they will."

The new security is being paid for as a part of a budget amendment that will take money out of Lubbock-Cooper's emergency fund. Henderson says that the protection of Lubbock-Cooper students and staff falls under that category.

We also reached out to Lubbock ISD and Frenship ISD for comment. LISD Public Information Director Nancy Sharp told us the school district has taken measures to improve safety but couldn't comment on the speech made by the NRA. Frenship ISD did not return our call.

President Donald Trump visited a Florida community reeling from a deadly school shooting, meeting privately with victims and cheering the heroics of first responders, but extending few public words of consolation...

President Donald Trump visited a Florida community reeling from a deadly school shooting, meeting privately with victims and cheering the heroics of first responders, but extending few public words of consolation to those in deep mourning.